Priory News, April 2008

Deeping St James Parish Church Magazine

Photographs of some parish events are available in our Photograph Album elsewhere on the site

To:

• Scripture readings for Sunday
• Archive of past editions of Priory News
• Cooking with Margaret

From the Vicar

With Christ for a new world!

One attribute often accorded to God is that he in unchanging. His constancy provides the whole universe with a firm foundation and is the basis of his faithfulness. This belief in the changelessness of God is firmly based in scripture and is a theme of many hymns. But like all other beliefs about and the infinite God it is necessarily expressed in human language with all its limitations and we have to be very careful in how we understand what we are saying, and an important part of this care is to ensure we take scripture as a whole in order to see as complete a picture of God as is humanly possible.

When we read of God doing a new thing, we did in our Old Testament reading on Easter Day, and when we read of the development of his relationship with his chosen nation and the eventual birth of Christ, his life, death and resurrection, we can see that a significant part of God's changelessness is his continuing creativity and renewal. In other words, part of his very nature is to do new things: this newness is one of the things that does not change! As the children's hymn, "One more step along the world I go," puts it, God is both ever old and ever new, older than the world can be and younger than the life in me!

In this context of changeless newness, of infinite and eternal creativity, then the resurrection of Christ can be seen as an inevitable part of the incarnation and as well as an historic event is also a clear and dramatic symbol that with God new life is always possible. To be in Christ is to share the new life of Easter, to be part of the eternal newness which is of he very nature of the God who invites us to participate in him. New life, then, is not just for when we die to this world, it is also for now, and it is a gift freely offered to us all.

Mark Warrick

To see your reading in advance without having to mark your bible pages, you can select and copy your reference and paste it into oremus Bible Browser (or type in your reference) and print out the reading. The translation used in church is the New Revised Standard Version, which is the default version on oremus.

6th April, 3rd Sunday of Easter:

• Morning: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41; 1 Peter 1: 17-23; Luke 24: 13- 35

13th April, 4th Sunday of Easter:

• Morning: Acts 2: 42-end; 1 Peter 2: 19-end; John 10: 1-10
• 18:00: Ezra 3: 1-13; Luke 19: 37-end

20th April, 5th Sunday of Easter:

• Morning: Acts 7: 55-end; 1 Peter 2: 2-10; John 14: 1-14

27th April, 6th Sunday of Easter:

• Morning: Acts 17: 22-31; 1 Peter 3: 13-end; John 14: 15-21

Thursday 1st May, Ascension Day:

• 19:30: Acts 1: 1-11; Ephesians 1: 15-end; Luke 24: 44-end

Home Groups

• The Bible Study Group: Fridays at 10 am in the Vicarage
• House Group: Every Wednesday, 7.30 pm at 45 Crowson Way - Everyone welcome

Notices

If you buy "Yorkshire Tea" would you kindly save the coupons and give them to Margaret Flegg.

There will be no celebration of the Eucharist on Thursday 17th April because of the Diocesan Clergy Conference.

MISSION MATTERS

A word of thanks on behalf of the Mission Committee for the good response to the Appeal for Clothing for the Homeless. It was greatly appreciated by all. Please keep up the good work, especially during the cold winter months.

The needs remain the same, for example: warm blankets, sleeping bags, duvets. Warm clothing especially for men including shoes etc. Also please remember the box at the back of church for tinned food, you will find there waiting to receive your gifts.

Contact 01778 348110 if you need things collected.

Thank you.

Come to Me, All Who Labour ... and I Will Give You Rest

Our spiritual needs vary widely, both from person to person and from time to time, and although many of us seek variety and excitement much of the time, for others, and perhaps for all of us some of the time, there is a need for stillness and predictability. At the Priory Church, the sung Eucharist at 10am on Sunday, of course, is well-known and I hope is lively and modern without discarding tradition, reasonably formal without being stuffy, and the children's work that goes alongside it is exciting and fun. This service has its quiet moments, principally at Communion, among the activity, the singing and reading and preaching, but all of our other services have more opportunities for quiet reflection.

All three of our regular Sunday evening acts of worship are of a quiet and restful style which rounds off the weekend and provides a good start to the working week. These are Choral Evensong, the Eucharist for Healing, and said Evening Prayer; and any of these will help you if you are looking for a bit of peace in preparation for Monday morning.

Choral Evensong, mostly sung by the choir using music which has stood the test of time, is probably the antithesis of the morning services (apart from the high standard of the music, of course)! We all sing the hymns and join in the creed but for the most part this is a service which you can allow to "wash over" you, something which is done to you rather than something you have to do, and participation is by listening and silently contemplating what you hear. The architecture, the music and the words allow us to take in that we are part of a very long tradition which has very high values indeed. This service held roughly once a month, usually on the first Sunday of the month, and in Lent and Advent the music is plainsong, a truly haunting sound which is deeply peaceful.

The Eucharist for Healing is a said Holy Communion service, normally on the second Sunday evening of each month, with a few hymns and quiet organ or piano music and with an emphasis on wholeness and healing, including an opportunity to receive personal prayer ministry by the laying-on of hands. Services for healing are in direct obedience to our Lord's command to heal the sick and are a part of the Church of England's normal provision. This monthly service is one aspect of the whole healing ministry of our parish church which also includes visiting the sick at home or in hospital, praying for the suffering, the ministry of reconciliation ("confession") and the anointing of the more seriously ill. At heart is the desire to restore humanity to the perfection which God intends. The peaceful nature of this service is part of the promotion of well-being and reconciliation, and we can all benefit from every part of this quiet and moving act of worship: even those who suffer only from the busyness of daily life.

On the other Sundays of the month unless there is a Churches Together united service there will normally be a said service of Evening Prayer. Lasting only about twenty minutes, this simple meditation on the scriptures with prayers for the church and the world is similar to the daily morning and evening worship offered here almost every Monday to Saturday through the year and still provides a quiet and peaceful start to the coming week. Do give our Sunday evening services a try. Don't wait until you have time to spare: it is precisely when you are under pressure that the peace they can give is most valuable!

Mark Warrick

Annual Meetings 2008 and Electoral Roll Revision

The Annual Meeting of Parishioners for the Election of Churchwardens and the Annual Parochial Church Meeting are to be held this year on Monday 14th April, an extra meeting of the PCC being held on Tuesday 1st April to approve the accounts for presentation at the APCM. This year's Archdeacon's Visitation, at which the newly elected (or re-elected) Churchwardens are to be sworn-in will be the Ven. Arthur Hawes's last before his retirement and will be held at Sleaford St Denys on 22nd May.

Nomination forms for election of Churchwardens, Representatives of the Laity in the Deanery Synod, and Representatives of the Laity in the Parochial Church Council will be available in good time before the meetings.

News from Explorers, Climbers and Scramblers

Our Lent theme of 'Jesus Cares' enabled us to examine several ways in which this came about. Jesus cared by bringing life to the widow's son, welcoming children, bringing freedom to the Gadarene Demoniac and by bringing salvation to Zacchaeus. We talked about how we could care for others as Jesus did. One way of doing this was when we took part in Operation Christmas Child last year and filled shoe boxes with small gifts for children in Eastern Europe who are not as well off as we are. One Sunday morning Thelma Wilford from ACA Romania came to tell us what happened to the Shoe boxes once we handed them in. It was very interesting to see photos she had taken of the huge lorries the boxes are transported in, and then the horse and cart which takes them to rural villages.

On Easter Sunday we had our traditional Easter Egg Hunt, but this year it took place in the Church Hall as the deep snow meant the Vicarage Garden was unavailable. Snowballing in the Churchyard, after the service, provided an unusual end to the earliest Easter we can remember.

Explorers (7 - 11), Climbers (5 - 7) and Scramblers (under 5) meet every Sunday morning (except during the Summer holiday period) at 9.50am in the Church Hall. They join older worshippers in Church for their blessing, final hymn and refreshments. New members are always welcome. Please contact Andrea (Climbers and Scramblers) on 344926 or Alison (Explorers) on 345890 for more details.

The Good Friday Activities

This Easter my sister and I went to the Priory Church at Deeping St James to join in on the Easter celebrations. The day started with a service from Father Mark. We heard a story about Jesus and his sad Easter story.

Afterwards we went to the Church Hall to do some fun activities. Some of the things we did were Biscuit Bonnets, Easter Cards, Chocolate Nest Cakes, Flower Arranging and Easter Jewellery. My favourite craft was Biscuit Bonnets as I ate part of the icing after we had finished making it! The morning was really fun and very busy. I even ate a hot crossed bun and juice for afters. I'm looking forward to celebrating Easter next year.

Jade Dodwell, aged 9

Jade and I went to church on Friday to remember Jesus this Easter. We heard a story about Jesus and then did some crafts. My favourite craft was making Easter cards because I like using all the stickers. My dad kept asking me to do flower arranging, I think he liked it. I got all sticky with cakes and glue and I really enjoyed the morning so much.

Cassidy Dodwell aged 6 ½

Spring and Resurrection

Around 65 years ago, when I was young, winters were hard and long. This was written then; hardly 'poetry', but reality.

Faith

I'd forgotten that the sun could
Fill my heart with such delight; 
Forgotten that its rays could
Make my dingy room so bright.
Buried in the depths of winter,
'Mid the snow and rain, I'd forgotten
That the skies could smile
And springtime come again.

Like fearful, faithless fancies
That hover in the gloom,
My mind was filled with doubting thoughts;
How could spring flowers bloom
When all the Earth was dead and bare
And frozen arrows pierced the air?

I bow my head in silent shame
To see each flower unfold,
For now I know the secret
Their fragrant petals hold.
He did not forget, indeed He
Knows each pain and care,
And spring, His crowning gift of love
Returns for all to share.

Betty Mates

BISHOP'S LETTER

Dear Friends,

People love lists these days – so here goes:

• Jesus the gentle,
• Jesus the Jew,
• Jesus the healer,
• Jesus the teacher,
• Jesus the vagabond,
• Jesus the vine,
• Jesus who reconciles,
• Jesus who divides,
• Jesus who weeps,
• Jesus who washes feet,
• Jesus the shepherd,
• Jesus the King,
• Jesus the prophet,
• Jesus the priest,
• Jesus the crucified,
• Jesus the resurrected,
• Jesus the Son of Man,
• Jesus the Son of God,
• Jesus the dead man,
• Jesus the giver of life … …
• … … and there are plenty more where these came from.

So who was and is Jesus – and why does it matter?

Come yourself, and bring others, to a series of three sessions I will be leading in the Cathedral on Tuesday 22nd April, 27th May and 3rd June at 6.30 p.m.

We shall journey together into the life and meaning of Jesus the Man, Messenger, Master and Lord.

Admission free – and ALL are welcome.

News From The Tower

The Tower A.G.M. was held in the ringing chamber on the 14th of March when various activities were discussed and time scales set.

Our major tower clean up will be in October this year, the annual barbeque has a set of three dates to be decided and other outings set.

Our next outing is a trip to a London theatre just after Easter. Will report on that next time.

Your thoughts and prayers are asked for one of our junior ringers who recently had an accident whilst on a trampoline. Unfortunately she will be out of action for a number of weeks. Our thoughts are with you. We hope to see you soon.

This is only an extract from some of our magazine. Residents of Deeping St James can subscribe to the printed version.